Chapter 10: Florida

 Welcome to the "Sunshine State" Florida. This southeastern state is situated on a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Straits of Florida. The prevalent climate of Florida is humid subtropical, while the coastal areas have a true tropical climate. In addition, summer highs in the state rarely exceed 100*F and the maxima cold have been 30*F. Florida is known to have hurricanes which doesn't help the 20 million people that live there (uscensus.gov). Also the racial make-up consist of: 75% Whites, 16% Blacks and  2.4 Asian American. Shockingly, tourism makes up the largest sector of the state economy. Tourist visit attractions such as amusement parks and beach towns. On the same note, Los Angeles attracts tourist from all the world to places like Hollywood and Universal Studios.

Just like Florida, Hollywood attracts millions of people from all over the world.

Chapter 9: South Atlantic

The South Atlantic ecological system includes forest and marshy grasslands off the coast. The region's climate features hot, humid, rainy summers and mild winters. Its tobacco agriculture is still thriving even after the end of slavery. Other resources that are grown are cotton, rice, and indigo. When it comes to racial makeup, the population has a distinct black-white racial profile. Unfortunately, Los Angeles weather, racial make-up, and ecological systems all contrast with the South Atlantic.  L.A.'s climate features a Mediterranean climate (hot summer/ cool winters) and a melting pot of different races.

Tobacco has been a cash-crop in the South Atlantic for centuries

Madi Gras in Louisiana. The South Atlantic has culture

Chapter 8: Appalachia

The Appalachia region is a mountainous region in the Eastern U.S. that impedes transportation and promotes isolation. There is not enough flat land for farms to thrive and people to live. The Appalachian Plateau was formed by stream erosion of uplifted horizontal rock beds Moreover, "the Piedmont, stretches almost nine hundred miles from New Jersey into Alabama and is the effective divide between the fall line and the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains" (Mayda 209). In contrast, the Los Angeles region has very little in common with the Appalachia region. The one exception is that L.A. is surrounded by mountains but they do not compare to the Appalachian Mountains

The region known as Appalachia

Chapter 7: Megaopolis

The term Megalopolis (great city) was coined by Geographer Jean Gottman in 1957 and in the United States this region runs from Washington D.C. to Boston (Mayda). In addition, the BosWash Megalopolis generates the greatest wealth and poverty, is the business and government center for the nation, and generates 20% of the nation's total personal income. Uniquely, Los Angeles is seen as the New York of the west coast since Los Angeles population is second after New York's population. Also, L.A. is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the United States. Furthermore, L.A. is ranked sixth in the Global Cities Index (wikipedia.org) and is an important node for trade and finance. Nice beaches, Hollywood and job opportunity are all factors into why Los Angeles has become a Megalopolis.

Los Angeles - Mega-region

BosWash Megalopolis from a satellite image

Chapter 6: North Atlantic Provinces

The city of Los Angeles is quite different from the area known as the North Atlantic Provinces. Population in the North Atlantic is is not as densely populated than Los Angeles. Also, the North Atlantic is 50% urban/ 50% rural in comparison to L.A. which is mostly urban. The air mass in the North Atlantic are polar, continental, maritime and as a result it's generally cool and damp. Moreover, rain and snow are more common in the North Atlantic than Los Angeles. Surprisingly these two regions have in common accessible sea ports for trade via ocean. When it comes to agriculture, the North Atlantic are great producers in of apples and potatoes; whereas, L.A. produces cinema.

Chapter 4: Population and Consumption

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Los Angeles had a population of 3,792,621 and population density of 7,544.6 people per.(census.gov)  With a population of that size living in an arid desert the consumption of water from other places is a must. The racial makeup of L.A. is composed of Whites (49%), African Americans (9.6%), Native Americans (0.7%), Asians (11.3%), Latinos (48.5%) and other races (23%). Mexicans make up the largest ethnic group in L.A. With a variety of races Los Angeles has provided a number of ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Filipinotown, Little Tokeyo and Thai Town.

The population is the densest in East L.A., San Fernando Valley, Echo Park, South Central and San Pedro

Chapter 3: Sustainability

Los Angeles is far from a "sustainable city" but in recent years there has been programs to promote sustainability. One program implemented is recycling and reuse of waste water, so Los Angeles can become water self-reliant. Shockingly, the city of Los Angeles only uses about 117 gallons per person per day, which is the least amount of water per person of all U.S.cities over 1 million people. The public transportation system METRO is affordable ($1.50 a trip), operates throughout majority of L.A. county, and ridership is second to New York. This helps alleviate some of the carbon emissions that motor vehicles emit. Furthermore, The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power already has reduced Green House Gas emissions 21% below 1991 levels and committed to a coal free energy future by 2020.

Chapter 2: The Nonhuman World

Los Angeles is home to a variety of  plants, wildlife, and climate. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy zone covers an area from the edge of the Mojave Desert to the Pacific Ocean. Some native plant species are California poppy, matilija poppy, toyon, live oak and the Los Angeles sunflower. By far, chaparral is the dominant vegetation in the Conservancy zone. Moreover, cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers create a Mediterranean-type of ecosystem. On another note, the Santa Monica Mountains and other terrains contain wild animals such as coyotes, deer, bobcats, mountain lion, rodents, black beers and many more. Los Angeles has a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate that allows for more shine than rain. To elaborate, the average annual temperature in downtown is 66 *F (19*C) during the day and 57*F (14*C) at night and the average precipitation annually is 15.14 inches. Equally important, Los Angeles is subject to a phenomena called microclimate: big variations in temperature in close physical proximity of each other.

The average low in Sunny Los Angeles doesnt drop below 40*F

Precipitation is at an all time low during the months of June, July, and Aug

Chapter 1: Regions and Ecoregions

Hi and welcome to the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California. Located on the west coast of the United States, the city of Los Angeles covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (468sq miles of land and 34sq miles of water). Within the city consists flat and hilly terrains such as the Santa Monica Mountains that stretch from Topanga Canyon to Downtown L.A. In addition, Los Angeles diverse terrain is composed of beaches, wetlands and mountains. This variation in terrains allows for a multiple number of different plants and animals to live and coexist with humans in this region.

Santa Monica Mountains extending from the Pacific Ocean to Downtown Los Angeles

A view of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley

Beautiful Santa Monica Beach with the S.M. Mountains in the background